Nov. 6--PNC Financial Services Group becomes part of the Mahoning Valley this weekend as its orange and blue signs are unveiled at 19 former National City Bank branches.

The local offices are in the first wave of National City branches that are being converted to PNC over the next six to eight months.

The change follows PNC's $5 billion acquisition of Cleveland-based National City last year. The deal was completed Dec. 31, but National City branches have retained their names as Pittsburgh-based PNC worked on converting computer systems and accounts.

That work has been completed, and branches will officially become PNC offices when they open Monday.

Garry Mrozek, regional president for the bank, said all local offices have been retained, and the same people are staffing those offices.

Dan Deskin, regional manager for the bank, said he and many of the other employees have been around long enough that they were part of Dollar Bank.

Dollar Savings and Trust -- known as Dollar Bank -- was a 106-year-old local institution when it was acquired by National City in 1993.

These are the branches that are now being taken over by PNC, although PNC almost acquired them 16 years ago. The Pittsburgh bank had reached a deal to acquire the Dollar Bank offices before National City but backed out.

As customers are moved to PNC's systems, customers don't need to do much, Deskin said. No action is required to access checking and savings accounts, and passwords for debit cards and ATMs remain unchanged.

Accounts can be accessed over the weekend, but balance information at ATMs will not be available until Monday.

For assistance, customers can call PNC at (877) 762-5570. The National City telephone banking number will be unavailable starting at 3 p.m. today.

Deskin said customers will see an upgraded online-banking system, but passwords are the same. Also, customers should have received new check cards and must activate them by Dec. 6.

National City's rewards points have been retained and extended throughout the PNC system, he said. National City provides reward points for all customer transactions.

Mrozek said PNC will retain National City's charitable contributions to the community. The bank has been a financial donor to the Youngstown Symphony Society, Youngstown State University business school and Youngstown Business Incubator, among others.

Mrozek said PNC will announce more charitable work in the next 30 to 60 days as it launches its Grow Up Great program in the Valley. The program is aimed at preparing young children to enter school.

shilling@vindy.com

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